Cops make arrest following torching of businessman’s vehicle

Police have arrested one person in connection with the three vehicles that were set on fire Tuesday night at Betsy Ground, East Canje Berbice.

Regional Commander Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan told the News Room that the suspect was arrested Wednesday morning in Canje and is assisting with the investigation.

The three vehicles – a pitbull minibus bus PPP 391, a Toyota Verossa PSS 1113 and a canter GWW 3612 – owned by popular businessman Doodnauth Moses known as ‘Chennick’ cost $10.8 million altogether.

Doodnauth, a businessman for over nine years, told the News Room that he has no clue about the motive behind the attack or who would attack him.

“I just cannot believe this thing happened, this is a shock to me.

“We don’t know if they light the fire to get we out of the building or they just come to burn the vehicles,” Doodnauth said.

The businessman explained that the bus and car were parked in front of his premises while the truck was parked in a driveway.  Doodnauth operates a supermarket that includes Superbet and Western Union outlets along with an auto dealership.

He said that on Tuesday at about 18:30hrs he closed his businesses and ventured to the upper flat of the building where he resides with his family.

One of his sons saw the vehicles on fire via the security camera and raised an alarm. Doodnauth explained that he managed to extinguish the blaze to the bus and car with a fire extinguisher while neighbours put out the fire on the truck.

Surveillance footage shows when the unidentifiable suspect doused the vehicles with gasoline and set it on fire using a match.

Police Headquarters reported that the businessman saw what was happening, he armed himself with his licensed firearms and ventured to the front of his yard where he discharged eight rounds but the suspect had already escaped.

Meanwhile, in December 2019, six armed gunmen stormed the businessman’s supermarket, held a number of customers at gunpoint and escaped with the Toyota Verossa, an undisclosed amount of cash and a small quantity of jewellery.

Doodnauth was beaten by the bandit and his 14-year-old nephew was also gun-butted to the head and had to receive four stitches.

“Nothing came out of the story, the police did not find anybody, they took away my gun and even go away with my car and we later find it back abandoned,” Doodnauth recounted.

The car was found abandoned at Speculation, East Canje after Police gave chase after the gunmen.